Incoming Tory Premier Tim Houston says rent control is not the answer to the province’s affordable housing problem.
He was questioned on the issue by reporters during the back-to-school plan and COVID-19 news conference on Monday.
Houston says he does not see a scenario where the temporary rent cap put in place by the Liberal government during the pandemic is extended beyond the provincial state of emergency.
“The solution to the housing crisis is more housing stock. I don’t believe that rent control is the solution. . . . It’s a complicated issue that requires a thoughtful solution,” Houston says.
The premier-designate has spoken with Halifax Mayor Mike Savage.
Houston says he wanted to learn more about the actions taken last week by the city to remove residents from temporary homeless shelters on municipal property.
“I’ll have further discussion with him [Savage]. I don’t think anyone wants to see violence on either side. Law enforcement was doing their job. They were doing what they were asked to do,” Houston says. “The bigger question for me is how did we get to the point where we have tent cities in downtown Halifax. We didn’t have those eight years ago. How did we get there? . . . If I had a magic wand I would have pulled it out last week and fixed it. We just don’t have it. We have to address the root causes of these issues.”
Protestors and police clashed in Halifax last Wednesday when concerned citizens surrounded the temporary crisis shelters to try and save them at the old Halifax Public Library on Spring Garden Road.
The scene soon erupted into chaos as police pushed back to allow the structures to be torn down.
Officers eventually resorted to riot gear and pepper spray to hold the protestors at bay.
“We understand the anxiety that people are under. We are totally sympathetic to some of the more dramatic situations we hear about,” Houston says. “I don’t want to give the impression that I’m not concerned about it. I think every Nova Scotian is concerned about it. But at the same time, we have to have real solutions. We have a housing crisis, and we have to address it. That’s going to take some time.”
Houston adds the government will get to work and reach out to the housing commission once cabinet is sworn-in next week.
Meantime, Dr. Robert Strang also provided his thoughts on the issue when asked by the media.
Like Houston, he believes it’s complex and there are no easy answers.
Strang says people are living in these shelters for a reason, and it’s up to the province to understand what the solutions are to get people who are without a home to a safe space.
“We need a range of solutions to the housing crisis,” Strang says. “Some of it is affordability. Some of it is people with mental health and addiction issues that we need to do a better job of supporting with health and social supports, so they can be in appropriate types of housing.”
Strang did not comment on police actions as he does not feel he has enough information.
He says the province needs to take a step back and look at how things are done moving forward.
“If people are saying the solutions that are given to them are not going to work for them, then we need to understand what is going to work,” Strang says.
